Late 1960s photo (see above) of the Prince Leopold, known to most as the ‘Big Window.’ One of only Three Northampton Brewery Co. pubs in Leicester. The others being the Hare & Hounds, Conduit Street, and the Holly Bush in Belgrave Gate.
A typical Georgian building, the earliest reference is from July 1832 when a farm laborer was convicted of stealing a pewter pint pot from the Prince Leopold. In February 1847 when a fight broke out in the Prince Leopold over a dispute about a pony. Although many references name the pub after Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Leopold, a haemophiliac who died young, as he was not born until 1852 the earlier reference in 1847 rules that out.
George Green is the first known licensee (in 1847). Two years later he was fined for unlawful opening – fined £1 or twenty one days – an offence repeated in 1860. In 1851, George was again fined – this time 7/6d for having his chimney on fire. In October 1860, hawker, John McDonald (alias ‘Clancey’), received twelve months hard labour for stealing a sovereign from the Prince Leopold.
In December 1861, John Riley and Thomas Thornton were charged with stealing a large quantity of beef – including five beds of beef – from George Green that had been bought for the Christmas trade. Riley’s home in Grange Lane was searched and beef was found boiling in the pot. Riley claiming he bought it from the market. Thomas Thornton house was also searched: five beds and rounds of beef were found. At court, the charge against Riley was dropped through lack of evidence, (he had eaten it), but Thornton was sent to trial at the assizes.
By 1866 George Green, it was evident that George Green still hadn’t learnt his lesson, for in September a PC found six people drinking at 7.30am. For ‘suffering his house to be open illegally’ this time it cost George £3 or one month in prison.
George Green was at the Prince Leopold until circa 1873. Bass were listed as lessees at that time.
John Sarson replaced the Greens. He was there until after the turn of the century, so that is only two landlords in over fifty years. But then the next half century produced at least fourteen more. including Frederick Cleaver 1902, Sam 1916 and Benjamin Strawston 1930. (see (JRs)
list In July 1950, the pub was broken into whilst landlord W. Cotton and his family were asleep: 1500 cigarettes and money was taken.
Why it was known as the Big Window is self evident, many people knew it by no other name. Curiously, whilst inserting ‘new’ windows in November 1857, workman erected scaffolding at the front of the but failed to secure it properly. During the evening, a portion fell with a tremendous crash, collapsing on two people and badly injuring them.
The pub closed circa 1969. 1960s directories sometimes list it (as do Mercury reports) as ‘The Big Window’, such had its nickname replaced the original Prince Leopold.
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